1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to communication management features that provide options for screening, responding to, and/or otherwise processing incoming communications.
2. Background of the Invention
Devices capable of sending and receiving communications, such as phone calls, text messages, electronic mail, instant messaging requests, and other electronic updates and information are becoming increasingly prevalent. Such devices come in a wide variety and may be generally stationary, such as a desktop computer, TV/Set-Top box, static game console, etc., or may be easily portable, such as a smart phone, tablet computer, notebook computer, personal digital assistant (“PDA”), portable game console, portable media device, etc. Further, such devices may send and receive communications through a wide variety of wired or wireless connections, standards, or protocols, such as the Internet, an intranet, voice over internet protocol (“VOIP”), satellite, 3G, SMS, MMS, 4G, WIMAX, etc.
Recipients have various options as to how they will receive, be notified of, respond, and otherwise process incoming communications. Referring generally to a phone call sent to a recipient's device, the recipient's options for responding include, for example, answering the call, ignoring the call, and forwarding the call to a voicemail system.
In some situations, such as if a recipient is in an important meeting or is already talking to someone on the other line, the recipient is notified of an incoming communication but is presently unable or unwilling to answer or respond to the communication. Consequently, the sender of the communication may attempt to contact the recipient through other channels, such as by calling a different phone number, like a cell phone, business line, and/or home number, by emailing or sending a text message, and/or by attempting to visit the recipient in person. It would be convenient in these and other situations to be able to inform the sender that the recipient has received the attempted communication but cannot currently respond, much like the function of a human secretary or receptionist when receiving a call intended for another recipient. Having a human assistant that receives and screens communications is suitable in some situations, such as in office settings during business hours on a recipient's work line. However, it is not generally feasible or practical for most users to have an assistant that manages communications on their personal devices on demand at all times.
Consequently, there is a need for communication management features that facilitate screening of incoming communications, acknowledging receipt of the communication, notifying a sender of the recipient's status, and/or otherwise providing additional options for responding to and processing communications.